


Come Home

by HeyPotterhead, Vallern



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death, Depression, Eventual BAMF Wanda, Everything is Tony Stark's fault, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Suicide Attempt, i still love you - Freeform, im sorry im torturing you, poor wanda, reckless behaviour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-26 12:12:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3850528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyPotterhead/pseuds/HeyPotterhead, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vallern/pseuds/Vallern
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR AGE OF ULTRON</p><p> </p><p> <em>Pain crippled through her chest, eating away at her insides. Her body felt like it was burning in endless flames. She tried to bear the pain, waiting for it to subside like the usual. But it stayed.</em></p><p>  <em>And that was when she knew.</em></p><p>A story about moving on from the loss of someone and how Wanda became the Scarlet Witch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Major spoilers for Age of Ultron. Read at your own risk. Enjoy!

Pain crippled through her chest, eating away at her insides. Her body felt like it was burning in endless flames. She tried to bear the pain, waiting for it to subside like the usual. But it stayed.

And that was when she knew.

Pietro was dead.

Her best friend, her savior, her protector, her better half; all in the form of him. _Gone_.

She had lost everything.

She gasped, tears spilling down her face as the words played on and on in her mind. _Pietro is dead, Pietro is dead, Pietro is dead._  

She knelt down on the ground, clutching at her chest as she sobbed endlessly. She was surrounded by robots aiming to kill her, but she couldn’t give a care. Pietro died, and a part of her died with him. She wanted nothing more than to join him in the afterlife, if such thing exists. She just wanted him back.

But everything became too much, and the sadness overwhelmed her. Her emotions were bursting at the seams, and she felt her power surging through her. 

She screamed, and a blur of red waved through her surroundings.

Everything became silent.

The robots were shredded to pieces, body parts lying powerless on the ground. She should be proud; the true depths of her powers were unleashed. This was what Pietro and her tried to achieve under Dr. Strucker. She should feel powerful, overjoyed, and content. And yet, agony was the only thing she could feel.

Pietro was dead.

And so was she.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just saw Age of Ultron with my superhero-hating cousin today. She sacrificed herself into sitting for two and a half hours of something she doesn't even like just to accompany me. Then she saw the twins and fell in love. So Rara, this one is for you.


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All she wanted was just to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for suicide attempt in this chapter.

She was brought to a building by The Avengers. From the looks of it, this probably was their headquarters; not that she really took notice of her surroundings.

She refused to speak to anyone despite their numerous attempts. Eventually she was brought to a room for her to stay in. It had a wall window overlooking the green scenery, white carpeted floor, and was lavished in vases filled with stunning flowers and expensive furniture. Wanda would have thought it was pretty, had she been in a normal state of mind.

She stared out the window, looking at agents running around the building as they trained. She was instantly reminded on Pietro; how he used to run circles around her until she was dizzy when they were younger. He would poke her here and there, making her giggle as she tried to grab him to no avail.

Tears blurred her vision. Everything reminded her of him; from the agents running to the white and blue color of the linen sheets. Everything hurts.

She walked over to the bed and lied down, closing her eyes to make it all go away. Maybe when she wakes up, this would all be just a dream. She would be safe in his presence.

“Wanda.”

She opened her eyes, and suddenly she was not alone on the bed anymore with her tear-stained face.

Pietro lied on the bed beside her, wrapping his arms protectively around her fragile frame. She looked up at him, brown eyes staring in disbelief. Pietro was alive and well. He was here.

“Pietro? I thought you were...”

Pietro chuckled at her. “Like I would die because of something like that.”

“But I felt it. I felt you were gone,” she said.

“I am here. I am always with you. Wherever you go, I go, remember?”

“Yes, of course. I am sorry I have doubted you, Pietro,” she whispered.

He smiled down at her. “Worry not, sister. You should go to sleep; it has been a long day.”

“But I do not want you to leave me again.”

“I am not going anywhere. I promise.”

Wanda couldn’t help but smile. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, reveling in his warmth and scent. Her heartbeat slowed down and her body relaxed. This was where she belonged; safe in Pietro’s arms. She felt him pepper soft kisses on her head until her eyes felt heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Wanda opened her eyes to darkness. She slowly sat up and ran her hand on the bed. It was cold.

“Pietro?” She turned the desk lamp on, eyes scanning the room for him. He was nowhere to be found.

“Pietro?” No answer.

“Pietro!” She yelled, only to hear her own voice echo through the room.

“Pietro, this is not funny. Where are you?” Her accent thickened even more.

Suddenly the door opened and Captain America walked in, still dressed in his attire minus the mask and the shield.

“Wanda? What happened?” He asked, concern dripping in his voice.

“I can not find Pietro anywhere! He was supposed to be here when I wake up. He promised!” She yelled, pacing back and forth.

“Wanda...” He sighed. He walked up to her, softly grasping her shoulders. “Pietro is gone,” he said in the gentlest voice possible. “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” She asked in confusion. “Do not joke around with me, Captain. This is not funny at all!”

“Wanda, Pietro is gone. He died when we tried to stop Ultron from destroying Sokovia. He’s gone,” he said matter-of-factly.

“But... He was here! He was with me when I fell asleep!” Tears were welling in her eyes as she tried to make sense of everything.

“I’m sorry, Wanda. But that wasn’t real.”

No, this was not true... It couldn’t be. Pietro was alive and all right. The blonde man was just trying to hurt her.

“No!” She snapped, raising her hands up and pushing him across the room with her powers. “You are lying! Tell me the truth!” She was hysterical now, trying to find her brother.

“Pietro!” She screamed, calling out for him.

Captain America groaned in pain, still wounded from the battle earlier. He slowly got up and called for the others, but Wanda was too caught up in searching for Pietro to even care.

And then it all came back to her; the pain she felt at the city today, his dead body lying on the Helicarrier. She remembered everything.

She glanced at one of the vases on the bedside tabled, taking it in her hands before smashing it against the floor. She picked up the biggest shard she could find. This was it. She was going to see Pietro again.

“Wanda, no!” A voice yelled. She looked up to see the Black Widow running towards her, but it was too late; she had already stabbed herself in the chest.

Her head spun and her body hit the floor, blood pooling around her. She stared into nothing as she vaguely heard the redhead calling for the doctors. Her eyelids closed and she smiled, hopeful to see Pietro again. 


	3. Red

She woke up to blinding lights, dazed. She tried to cover her eyes with her hands but felt something restraining her. Her hands were tied to the bedpost with cuffs. Wanda tried pull her hand away, but the cuffs were tight.

“What the hell were you doing?”

Wanda looked up to see none other than the Black Widow, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. Her arms were crossed, and her face was contorted in a scowl.

“Am I dead?” Wanda asked. The agent scoffed.

“Far from it,” she said. “You lost a lot of blood, but thankfully Doctor Cho managed to use her regenerating machine on you just on time. Or maybe not so thankfully, if you were planning to die again.” The anger was palpable from her voice. It was cold and distant.

Wanda closed her eyes. She was disappointed and angry and frustrated that she failed. She can’t even die properly. What a disgrace she was.

“I just wanted to see him again,” she whispered.

“We all want a lot of things, that doesn’t mean we get to have it,” Widow said. She stood up, walking slowly towards Wanda. “And what you did earlier? That was stupid and irresponsible. You are never going to get Pietro back like that. And did it even occur to you what Pietro would have thought about _that_? You were lucky we got to save you.”

“I do not need your saving,” she growled, her face turning red in anger. “I do not need you. I do not need The Avengers and your stupid fancy facility. I just need Pietro back.”

“He’s never coming back,” Widow said quietly. “And you have to accept that whether you like it or not. Pietro is _dead_.”

“Shut up!” Wanda yelled, tugging at the metal around her wrists and ankles. “You know nothing about him, you bitch! Let me go!”

She was thrashing on the bed now, screaming for Pietro.

“No matter how much you try, you can’t break free from the restrains,” the redhead said, turning around and walking away.

She stopped in front of the door, looking to the side.

“You’re not the only one that lost someone important yesterday,” she said quietly before exiting the room.

Wanda screamed and screamed, calling out for Pietro for hours. Sweat soaked her body, and tears stained her face. In the end her cords could not produce a sound as she had screamed herself hoarse. Eventually she fell asleep from exhaustion, fatigue lining her face.  
  


* * *

 

  
“We need to put her on suicide watch.”

Natasha walked into Tony Stark’s office, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Tony looked up from his tablet, looking up at her in confusion.

“Aren’t we already putting her on suicide watch?”

“No, you’re just restraining her. She’s smart, resourceful, and I’m honestly surprised she hasn’t used her powers to break free. We need to set up surveillance cameras and put someone to watch over her.”

Tony stood up from his desk, putting his tablet down.

“I could set up surveillance, but I’m definitely not going to babysit Little Red over there.” He shuddered. “Why don’t _you_ , Big Red, do that? At least it’ll give you something else to do other than stare at the wall and brood for The Big Guy.”

Natasha was taken aback at Tony’s suggestion.

“I do not stare at the wall, Tony,” she said in defense. “And I certainly do not brood for anybody.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” He shrugged, taking his tablet before walking out of his office. “But you’ll babysit Little Red when you’re not doing spy stuff.”

“But Tony--” She was about to protest, but Tony had already shut the door, leaving her alone in confusion.

“What the hell am I getting myself into?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short, but three chapters in less than twenty four hours is something, I guess? Anyway, more coming soon!


	4. A Brilliant Idea

Natasha sat on a chair in the corner of the room once again, watching Wanda as she slept. It was obvious that she was having a bad dream. She was crying in her sleep, muttering out words in Sokovian. Natasha wasn’t an expert when it came to said language, but from what she could comprehend, the younger woman was dreaming about her childhood, crying out for her parents as they died in an explosion.

“Mama, Papa,” she cried, softly sobbing onto her pillow.

Natasha felt a pang of sympathy for the girl, something that was very rare for her. She never knew her parents, but she could feel for Wanda, in a way.

The next day, Wanda woke up. She woudn’t say anything, wouldn’t eat; she barely even moved. Natasha didn’t know how to get her to do anything, so she settled for a one-way communication.

“You’re going to have to talk eventually,” she said. “And eat. There’s no point in ignoring everything. The best option is to deal with it and move on.”

Wanda remained stoic, staring at the ceiling as Natasha went on about random things, like how Tony was being more of a dick these days or how Steve was worried about her, always asking how she was. Nat could do this all day, the least she could do was annoy Wanda into talking.

“What did you mean?” Wanda asked, face still devoid of emotion and eyes fixed on the ceiling.

 _And she talks,_ Natasha thought.

“What?”

“Last night,” she began. “You said that I wasn’t the only one who lost someone important that day. What did you mean by that?”

Natasha stiffened on her seat, looking at the Sokovian in surprise. Then she sighed. “Ah, of course you’d remember that.”

“What did you mean?”

Natasha wasn’t sure if she should talk about Bruce. Losing him stung, but she was sure it could never compare to losing a brother.

“Forget what I said. It’s not important.”

Wanda didn’t reply, instead, she just closed her eyes.

Natasha sighed inwardly, her mind now wandering about Bruce’s whereabouts. She still didn’t know where Bruce and her was at when it came to their relationship, but she knew enough that she had real feelings for him. Before they admitted their feelings for each other, they were friends. And Natasha cared about her friends, even though there aren’t many people she could call that. She missed her friend.  
  
“Bruce left,” Natasha said, the words coming out painfully. “After the fight was over, he just disappeared. I still don’t know where he is right now.”

“Who is Bruce?” Wanda asked quietly.

“Bruce Banner. The Hulk.”

Silence filled the room. Natasha stood up from her seat, walking over to the window and stared at gray sky. A thunderstorm was coming. _How fitting,_ Natasha thought to herself.

“Did you love him?” Wanda finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Natasha answered truthfully. “I guess love the idea of him. Besides, we were always too busy to really talk about it. And when there was time... Well, he’s gone.”

“What do you mean the idea of him?”

“Someone who accepted me, I guess. Bruce was... More like a safe option. I needed a cover, and he was willing to disappear with me. Was, anyway. Now he’s gone by himself. Leaving me,” Natasha muttered the last part quietly.

“Your feelings matter,” Wanda said. Natasha turned around to face her.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because,” she began, eyes leaving the ceiling and landing on Natasha’s. “I have a feeling that you think it does not.” And she was right.

“It doesn’t. Not in my world.”

“Then you are a fool.”

Natasha sighed. “You wouldn’t understand,” she said.

“But I do. We are more alike than you think.”

The older woman scoffed. “You don’t even know me.”

“No, I do not. But you will see soon enough.”

* * *

“How is she?” Steve asked Natasha during dinner at the cafeteria.

“Well, she’s awake,” she said, cutting through her steak. “That’s something.”

“Still distraught?”

“You bet.”

Steve sighed, settling his silverware down on his plate and grabbing his glass. “I feel bad for her. I mean, losing her brother, the only family she has left? That’s tough. Poor kid.”

“I know,” she nodded. “She’s going to have to accept his loss real soon, though, because Tony has this _brilliant_ plan about officially making her an Avenger.”

“Wait, what?” Steve laughed, but soon stopped when he saw Natasha’s serious face, “Oh my God, you gotta be kidding me.”

“I wish I was.”

“Is Stark out of his mind? Well, more than usual, anyway.”

“I don’t know, I mean Tony thinks the girl’s got issues. But she’s angry, and he thinks anger is a good fuel.”

“But her anger is a liability. She could be an issue in the long run!” Steve protested.

“There you are, my fellow mighty Avengers,” Tony bellowed, waving his tablet at the two as he barged in.

Natasha rolled her eyes and Steve opened his mouth, ready to complain at Tony’s decision to make Wanda an Avenger.

“Oh, shut up,” Nat said. “Cap here wants to say something about your genius idea.”

“Which one? I got plenty when I came here,” he said, sitting next to her.

“The one where you want the Sokovian experiment to become an Avenger. Ring a bell, Tony?”

“Oh, that one! Great idea, huh?”

“Yeah, great idea if you want us all dead by morning!” Steve said.

“Oh, _pfft_ ,” Tony waved dismissively. “You’re exaggerating.”  
  
“Sure, because the last time you had this fantastic idea to mess with Loki’s scepter went real smooth.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Oh, Rogers. Stop getting caught in the past, you old dinosaur.”

“That was three days ago!”

“Ago, so it’s in the past. Now,” Tony said, cracking his knuckles. “We just focus on rebuilding the Avengers. Banner’s gone, Barton reisgned, and I’m sure Thor plans on going AWOL for a while. We need replacements, buddy. At least for the time being.”

“And you think Wanda Maximoff, the girl who tried to kill us, what? A week ago? You think she’s up for the job?”

“Precisely. She kicked our asses, so she’s okay in my book. And it’s not like she’s the only one. I plan to add Vision, Rhodey and Wilson, too. Maybe more if I could help it.”

“You’re nuts,” Steve muttered.

“Rogers, please,” Tony said in a dramatic fashion. “How do you think my dad got rich?”

* * *

“I got you some food,” Natasha said, entering the room with a tray full of soup, bread, and fruits. She hipchecked the door close and placed the tray on the bedside table.

“How do you think I should eat?” Wanda muttered, softly tugging at her cuffs.

“Oh, right. I’ll unlock those, but no suspicious movements, okay?”

Wanda nodded. Her face was pale and she looked like she had lost a bit of weight. Her cheeks were hollow and dark circles laid underneath her eyes.

“There you go,” Natasha said once she finished unlocking the cuffs.

Wanda slowly sat up, rubbing her wrists and then ankles. Natasha placed the tray on an overbed table and pushed it towards her.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Wanda picked up her spoon and slowly dug into her food. Natasha sat on the same chair she was on earlier today, watching Wanda eat slowly in silence.

“Stark would like to have a word with you tomorrow, if you feel like it by then.”

Wanda just nodded in response of the Black Widow’s words, still eating her food. Natasha felt bad for the kid; she was distraught and alone. Just like she was once.

 _“We are more alike than you think,”_ Wanda’s words played over in her head.

Perhaps the kid was right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA look who joined AO3 to officially help out writing this fic? My superhero-hating cousin! This is karma. Welcome, Vallern aka Rara. Now stop stalking people. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you liked this longer chapter!


	5. A Proposition

"Well, this is as far as I go," Natasha said, stopping right in front of the door. 

"You are not coming in?" Wanda asked.

"Nope. I'll see you when you're done," she said, opening the door for the younger woman.

"Miss Maximoff," Stark greeted, sitting on his chair behind his desk. "Please, have a seat." 

Wanda walked inside quietly, her eyes taking in every detail of his office. It was very luxurious; from the leather lounges on a red and gold rug to crystal chandelier hanging on the center of the room. Even the polished marble floor seemed expensive. It was extremely spacious as well. 

"Glad you could make it here today," Stark said. 

"Well, your office is three floors above my room," she said, taking a seat in front of him. She felt Stark's his eyes on her; observing. Who wouldn't anyway? Most people she passed by ever since she got out of her room today seemed to do that. It was no doubt that everyone had found out about the  _incident_  by the way they looked pitifully at her.

"So why did you want to see me?' She asked, looking down at her hands.

"Because I have a proposition for you." He stood up and walked around his desk until he was in front of her, sitting on it.

"Which is?"

"Well, basically, I want you to be an Avenger."

 

* * *

 

"Maximoff, wait," Natasha called, catching up to Wanda who just exited Tony's office and walked away without a word.

"I cannot do it," Wanda said, turning around to face her. "I thought I could. But I cannot. Not without Pietro." Tears welled in her eyes.

"I understand that, but Pietro is gon--"

"Do  _not_  say that," the brunette said coldly, stepping towards Natasha who closed her mouth, trying to think of what to say.

"Look, I know you just lost your brother and that must be very hard for you, I can only imagine. But you can't do anything about it," she told her. Silence filled the air, and Wanda was looked like she was deep in thought. 

"I just want to bring him back," Wanda whispered, trying her best not to let her tears fall.

"That's the thing; you can't," Natasha said gently, looking at her like she was going to break.

"Then I do not know what to do." Wanda looked down.

"You can avenge him."

 

* * *

  

Wanda stood in front of the bathroom mirror, hair dripping wet and frail body wrapped in a towel. She stared at her reflection, noticing her protruding collarbones and hollow cheeks. The circles under her eyes had gotten darker, and her dark brown hair was dull. She grasped the edges of the sink, trying to remove all those terrible and dark thoughts away. Mama used to say that a warm bath would always make you feel better, but for the first time Wanda felt like she was wrong. Nothing could make her feel better. She felt empty and alone, on the verge of slipping down her own downward spiral. _  
_

_"You can avenge him,"_  Natasha had said earlier today.

Perhaps she could, but there was a difference between avenge and revenge. Problem was, which of the two did she want?

She felt so frustrated, knowing that she had lost everything and was left with bad options. But then again, she had always been left with them, and besides her parents, Pietro was the only good thing in her life. But Pietro was not here. He was not running circles around her anymore, he was...

He was _dead_ , and Wanda knew she had to accept the bitter truth one way or another. There was no point in denying it.

A sob escaped her lips. She crouched down and leaned against the bathtub, letting the tears she had tried so hard to hold spill down her face.

And so she sat there, hugging her knees as she broke down once again.

 

* * *

 

It was bright the next day, and Wanda had decided to go out for a little stroll around the area.

She wore the clothing items that were placed in the drawer of her room that morning; a pair of black jeans and a red sweater, walking out of the building and onto the green grass. She stood in the middle of the field for a while and closed her eyes, facing towards the sky as heat warmed up her cheeks. How she had missed warm sun.

She walked farther and farther away from the building, stepping into the woods but not reaching the ground borders yet. She basked in the scent of wood and the quietness of the trees; they had always had a soothing effect on her.

" _You can't catch me!" Pietro would say in Sokovian, teasing as he ran effortlessly away from her._

" _Wait for me!" Ten-year-old Wanda yelled, desperately trying to catch up with her brother. After minutes of running, he suddenly disappeared, leaving her alone in the middle of the woods._

_"Pietro?" she called out, searching for him to no avail. She walked around the forest, looking here and there for any sign of him._

 " _Pietro?" She called out once more, worry in her voice. Nothing._

  _She suddenly felt a poke on her cheek, along with the whooshing sound of the wind. Pietro stood next to her, a smug smile plastered on his face._

_"You didn't see that coming?" He laughed. Wanda smacked him in the arm, strangely making him laugh harder. "Oh, sister," he said, wrapping an arm around her. "Let's go home."_

Wanda smiled at the memory, even though her heart felt heavy. Every memory she shared with Pietro was now bittersweet. They comforted her yet made her want to fall apart at the same time. She sighed, looking down at the ground with her eyes closed. She needed to see him one last time.

 

* * *

 

It had been a hard job convincing everybody, but Wanda eventually got what she wanted. Which was why she was now being led by Dr. Cho and Romanov down the hallway in the basement. Her heart was beating fast and her hand began to shake.

They entered the room at the end of the hall. It was cold, making her shiver even in her sweater. Metal was everywhere in this room, shining against the bright lights. Dr. Cho made her way to the corner of the room, her hand on a handle. She looked warily at Wanda, who was standing next to Romanov.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Please," Wanda whispered, staring at the handle in Cho's hands.

The doctor pulled at the handle, revealing a body half-covered in a white sheet. Wanda inhaled sharply at the sight.

Pietro laid lifelessly on the metal slab, eyes closed and skin pale. Bullet holes could be seen on his chest, marring his skin. Wanda looked at him for what felt like an eternity. 

"Can I have a moment alone please?" She asked, looking at Dr. Cho and Romanov. They were hesitant at first, but eventually nodded and stalked out of the morgue, leaving Wanda alone with her dead brother.

"Oh, brother," she sighed, moving his blond locks away from his face. "I miss you so much." Wanda laid her forehead against his, closing her eyes as a tear escaped, falling on his face and sliding down his cheek. She just stood there, her forehead against his, embracing what was left of him. This was going to be the last time, she had promised herself that. This was going to be the last time she would ever see him.

 

* * *

 

They eventually buried him in the woods outside the building, according to Wanda's wishes. The funeral had been brief and simple, with only The Avengers and a priest participating in the ceremony. She watched as they lower his coffin, and the more they did the better she felt. By the time she placed the tombstone above the soil, Wanda had felt significantly better. Still sad and mourning over the loss of Pietro, but better. He was finally resting; no more running away now.

_Sleep well, Pietro._

Her mind became clearer, and she knew she had finally found an answer.

"Stark," she called out; catching up to the dark-haired man as they finally reached the building. "I want to talk to you."

Stark turned around, offering Wanda a small smile. "Shoot."

"I want to be an Avenger."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while to write for the both of us, but hopefully it was worth it! Do leave us your thoughts :)


	6. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized that Come Home has reached 100 kudos and is almost at 1900 views??? We literally started this story seven days ago! Thank you for those who took their time to give kudos/comment. We really do appreciate it.

Wanda stared out the window, watching in wonder as the sun began to rise. Before she came here, it had been a long time since she saw a sunrise. The last time she did was at her old house back in Sokovia, the day before the explosions.

She was with Pietro.

She sighed, internally cursing at the memory. It had been a month since they buried him in the woods and Wanda's heart still felt heavy at the slightest memory of him. Being here without him was tough. There were so many times where she just wanted to give everything up and fall apart, but she didn't. Of all the advice Natasha had given her throughout the time she was here, the one that stuck with her the most was that it was a lot harder to pick up the pieces than it was to hold yourself together. So she stayed strong, because she knew that was what Pietro would have wanted for her.

She walked into the bathroom; the one connected to the first room she was brought to, not the room she was locked in. She turned the water on before stripping off her clothes until she was bare. Looking at the mirror, she ran a hand over her chest, right under her left collarbone; the place where she had stabbed herself. In hindsight, there was no scar. But once you take a really close look you could see a faint white line tainting her skin. It still stung whenever she touched it, but she didn't mind. The pain was a reminder of why she had to keep holding on.

Once the bathtub was full, she dipped a foot inside, testing the water. When the temperature was hot enough she turned the tap off and stepped inside, lying down on the tub. She relished in the hot water invading her skin.

Endless thoughts about Pietro, Avengers, and even Ultron ran through her head. Old memories, doubts about her choices, She closed her eyes and submerged herself completely in the water, trying to mute her thoughts. She could think about everything later.

 

* * *

 

It was already eight when Wanda headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

"Maximoff!" Rhodes called, sitting on the far corner of the room along with the rest of the Avengers. "Over here!"

Wanda grabbed a tray along with a plate and took some bread and butter from the buffet. She still hadn't gotten used to American food, they tasted too rich for someone who used to eat only plain food in her life. Either way, it was something she had to start getting used to if she intended to stay.

Walking over to the table where the Avengers were, she gave them a small smile and greeted them good morning before taking a seat next to Natasha.

Wanda's newfound friendship with Natasha was unexpected but welcomed. She was nice to her, and after Wanda had decided to join the Avengers, Natasha had become a companion she could talk comfortably to outside of work, if you could call it that. Their conversations never seemed to stray far from small talk, but they were heading somewhere.

The others were nice, but most of the time they treated her like she was going to break anytime soon. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't deny that it was her fault in the first place.

"So how are you feeling about training soon?" Rogers asked, mouth half full from pancakes. It was his third plate. Wanda's left eye twitched at the display but she swallowed her comments.

"I guess I am excited," she answered, spreading butter on the bread.

"You  _guess_?" Rhodes asked in mock disbelief. "We're gonna be the freaking  _Avengers._  That's like being the president, but with fighting and ninety-nine times more awesome."

"Stop disturbing the poor girl, James," Vision said, appearing behind Wanda. "Good morning, everyone," he said before taking a seat next to her. Wanda had started to get used to everyone, but Vision was a whole different thing. He had saved her the day Pietro died, right after she had destroyed Ultron's primary body. While thanking him would be a polite gesture and the least she could do, she wasn't sure if she was grateful at his rescue in the first place.

"Aren't you going to eat or something?" Wilson asked, taking a bite of bacon from his plate.

"I am an artificial human, therefore I do not eat," Vision simply stated.

"Oh," Wilson trailed off awkwardly, taking another bite of bacon.

"So, Stark," Rogers began. "Do you want to inform Maximoff of our small get together?"

Tony looked up from his tablet, his food barely touched. "Ah, right." He placed the gadget beside his tray of food. "Little Red," he said, pointing at Wanda. "Clear your schedule tomorrow night because I will be making dinner for all the Avengers. All except Vision, because he's like a super creation of mine or something. Anyway, we got food, wine, talking; it's going to be fantastic."

"Cook dinner.  _You?_ " Thor raised his brow judgmentally.

"All right, you got me. Pepper's cooking, but it's still going to be awesome. Just wait until you try the Bourbon Chicken. It's heaven on a plate."

Wanda thought about it. It sounded like a lot of interacting; more than usual, anyway, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. However, dinner with her colleagues sounded refreshing after staring at the wall for two weeks. At least it will give her a distraction from her own wandering thoughts.

"I will be there," she said. Stark gave her a smile.

"Great."

 

* * *

 

The next day, Natasha came by her room.

"So how are you feeling?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I have been better," Wanda answered truthfully. "But I am okay."

"That's good." She gave the younger woman a smile. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you have an outfit prepared for Stark's dinner?"

"I plan on wearing a simple attire," Wanda said, leaning on the wall across the redhead. "So yes."

Natasha looked at her for a while, her eyes analyzing in silence. It was clear by then that real reason she had come to visit her was not to ask about her outfit options, but to measure her current mental state.

"I am not crazy, you know," Wanda eventually said, breaking their silence. "I had a breakdown; something I do not intend on doing again."

"But you want to," Natasha concluded.

"Yes. I want to. But I cannot," Wanda looked down, crossing her arms. "I promised myself I would stay strong for Pietro. I want to avenge him by doing good."

"What is holding you back?" The older woman asked as if she had read Wanda's mind.

"Everything." She looked at Natasha right in the eye. "Pietro, my parents, my  _home_. My most cherished memories have become those that haunt me. When my brother and I came to Strucker to be experimented on, we thought we were making the right decision. We thought that we could help keep the world safe from all of this." She waved her hand around the room. "America, Avengers, and everything related. And, yet, all the things we were so against became what saved us. What saved  _me_. I fee like I do not deserve all this."

"What, because you feel guilty for the choices you have made? Everybody makes bad choices; I know I did." Natasha stood up, walking towards her. "What matters is what you do after you realize that you can do better."

Wanda sighed. Natasha had a point. But still, it was easier said than done.

"Why do you care?" The words slipped out of her mouth. It was a question that lingered. Why  _did_  she care? If Wanda was being perspective, she was basically a threat to everyone. So why did the most dangerous member of the Avengers decided to check up on her, give her advice? It seemed out of character for somebody like the Black Widow.

"Because you're right, we're more alike than I thought."

Wanda raised a brow. "How so?"

"That's a story for another day," Natasha said. "Right now, what you need is a change."

"And I got an idea."


	7. Wine and Dine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hair dye, good food, and drunk Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was waiting for an update, we are sorry for the delay! Here is another chapter :3

They stood inside Natasha's bathroom. Wanda observing the small bottles of toiletries as Natasha leaned over the bathroom counter, carefully reading the letters on a box.

"Perhaps we should just wait until later--" 

"Nonsense." Natasha waved dismissively, eyes still on the box. "We should do this before dinner." 

Not knowing what to say, Wanda just sighed and looked around the bathroom. It had the same model as hers, but Natasha had sure made some of her own customizations here; like the unlit purple candles that hung on the wall beside the mirror, or the red mat near the bathtub. She even had shower curtains.

Wanda thought she should get one herself, but she didn't know where to get them. She's never really been outside of the facility since she got here. Maybe she should ask Natasha.

"Where do you get the curtains?" Wanda eventually asked.

"Shower curtains? I got them from IKEA."

"What is IKEA?" She had heard Agent Hill mention it once when talking to Doctor Cho about a broken shelf, along with something called 'DIY'; not that she was eavesdropping (well, okay, she was). 

"It's a furniture store."

"Oh."

Silence fell upon them once again, but it didn't last long.

"Have you ever done this before?" Wanda took a seat on the edge of the tub.

"Never," Natasha said casually.

Wanda's eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea after all...

 "I have changed my mind. We should not do this at all." Wanda was about to get up from her seat but the older woman stopped her.

"Relax, Maximoff. I'm kidding. I'm just making sure I got the instructions right."

"Now let's get this over with."

 

* * *

 

"Have I turned color blind or are you actually blond?" Stark said as soon as Wanda and Natasha arrived at his place. 

It was fancy, to say the least. Certainly fancier than his office. And big; don’t forget big. For someone who lived with only his girlfriend, this place had a lot of space that you could probably fit a zoo.

Everyone was there and even though it was expected, it felt weird to see them all in such casual clothes, especially Thor. Stark was at the Bar area while the rest were in the living area; Rhodes and Thor were sitting on the sofa, Rogers and Wilson sat on the floor across each other. Meanwhile, Vision was floating like a damn boss. He was wearing a cape, though. 

"I think that is a nice shade," Vision said thoughtfully. 

"Agreed, it brings out your eyes," Thor said.

"You actually look younger with blond hair..." That was Rhodes.

"I take the credits," Natasha said, smiling as she walked past Wanda and into the open kitchen area where another blond woman was cooking. Wanda didn't know what to do, so she followed suit.

"Hey, Nat!" The woman greeted as she lowered the heat of the stove.

"Hey, Pepper. How's the chicken going?"

"It'll be done in about a minute," the woman said before looking over at Wanda. "You must be Wanda!"

"Pepper meet Wanda, Wanda meet Pepper," Natasha said.

"Nice to finally meet you," Pepper said as she pulled the girl into a hug. Wanda felt a little bit awkward but she hugged the woman back.

"Nice to meet you, too," Wanda said, slowly freeing herself from the bone-crushing hug.

"Maximoff," Rhodes called. "Why don't you sit over here with us?"

"No, no, you should all move to the dining room. The chicken's finally done."

Wanda sat among the Avengers in Stark's lavish dining room, eating her bourbon chicken with steamed rice and vegetables. It was the first dish she sincerely liked that was not plain food since she got here, so she ate her food with a little more enthusiasm than usual.

"Okay, are we just going to ignore the fact that Vision's floating on top of us?"

"Let him be, Rhodes." Rogers said.

"As I have said before, I am an artificial human. I do not eat."

"And what does that have to do with you floating around?"

"I like being high."

Wilson snorted. "That sounded totally innocent."

"It is innocent, is it not?" Vision asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Awkward..." Wilson trailed off silently. "Anyway, Pepper, did you even make this? It's heaven," he said as he took a bite of the chicken.

"I second your statement, Wilson," Thor said. "I never knew Midgardians have such delicious food. I must say I am thoroughly impressed."

"I have my ways," Pepper laughed as she took a sip of her wine before glancing at Stark. "Tony, could you please get off your tablet for once? We're all eating, for goodness sake."

Stark looked up from his tablet, his food barely touched. "What? Oh, right. Sorry, Pep. I just got this great idea for a--"

"You can deal with your great idea later, okay? Eat your food," Pepper scolded. Stark instantly put his tablet down and finally began to eat his food.

Wanda snorted at the interaction between the two of them. Suddenly, all eyes were on her.

"What's up, Maximoff?" Rhodes asked, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Oh, um." Wanda was at a loss for words, but she eventually said, "No, I just think it is funny."

"What's funny?" Tony asked.

"Oh, it is nothing."

"Come on, Maximoff, I'm curious. You won't like me when I'm curious."

"No, you won't," Natasha said. "He's all over everyone once he is. There's no stopping him. Just say it." She was encouraging her to speak up, so she did.

"Well, it is just funny to see Stark following orders for once," she admitted.

Everyone erupted into a laugh.

"Damn, girl. I like you," Rhodes pointed at her.

And so dinner went on with a lot of playful banter between everyone; mostly between Rhodes and Stark. Despite feeling a little bit awkward, Wanda actually liked this kind of atmosphere. It felt... Homey. It was odd and new for her, but nice.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living area; sitting on sofas, lounge seats and the floor (Vision finally sat on one of the seats after endless complaints from Wilson). Wanda sat on the floor beside Natasha, who was drinking Vodka right from the bottle.

"All right, Maximoff. What are you having?" Stark asked from the bar.

"I do not know. I have never drank alcohol before," Wanda confessed. 

"How old are you?" Rogers asked, taking a gulp of beer.

"Nineteen."

Rogers choked on his drink.

"Nineteen?!"

"Makes you feel old, eh, cap?" Stark laughed as he walked over to where everyone was, holding a bottle on one hand and two glasses on the other.

"Okay, for first timers, I think you should have a light red." Stark looked at the bottle. "So how about some Pinot Noir?"

"I do not know what that is but why not?" She had always wondered what alcohol drinks tasted like. Liquor was a luxury back at Sokovia. Only the rich were able to afford good wine and champagne and all those nice drinks she saw on TV. People from her class could only afford what looked like really horrible alcoholic drinks in cheap plastic bottles (and they smell really foul), so she never really bothered.

"Since when is nineteen legal?"

"Since Europe existed," Stark quipped. "Eighteen's the legal age to drink in Sokovia, right?" She nodded.

"Then consider this glass yours for the whole night." He handed her the glass and poured some of the drink in it.

"But Sta--"

"Oh, please, Cap. Let her be that European party kid for once. Live a little!" Stark patted Rogers on the shoulder.

"Besides, Tony would be a hypocrite to not let her drink, considering his behavior when he was nineteen." Pepper chuckled as she leaned back on the sofa.

"Oh, I did way worse than underage drinking."

"I can vouch for that," Rhodes said.

Rogers opened his mouth as if to protest, but eventual closed it. He knew better than to argue with Tony Stark. Hell, everyone did.

 

* * *

Three hours and five glasses later, Wanda was absolutely sloshed.

She didn't talk much but she listened. She listened to every banter and every joke and she laughed. Actually laughed. A sincere one, that was. If there was one thing for sure it was the fact that she didn't laugh often. Sure, she'd laugh when she was with Pietro, but this was different, in a way. She was having a laugh and talking with people she barely knew and it felt great. Maybe it was the alcohol taking over, but she truly didn't mind.

"And then she told me I looked like a raccoon but I don’t... I don’t look like a raccoon and it makes me mad when people do b-b-because it... Takes an hour to do my makeup why is she so mean like... How dare you, Joan Rivers!” Pepper shouted. She, too, was intoxicated.

For some reason, that sounded really funny to Wanda, so she laughed again for what seemed like the hundredth time that night along with everybody else.

"This pine nor is nice." Wanda sighed dreamily before taking another big gulp of wine.

"It's Pinot Noir, silly." Natasha laughed. She was onto her third bottle of Vodka and was totally drunk by this point. In fact, everybody was drunk. Well, everyone except Rogers, Thor and Vision; but that was only because Rogers was a super soldier, Thor was basically a god and Vision can’t drink because he’s ‘artificial’ or whatever.

"All right, party's over," Rogers said as he stood up. "Thor, you get Sam and Rhodes back to their room, I'll take Natasha and Vision can take Maximoff."

"Party pooper!" Stark yelled. "Boo!"

"But I do not want to go," Wanda whined, hugging the bottle of wine to her chest as she laid on the floor only to spill its contents. "Oops, I think I spilled the wine." She giggled, pouring more wine onto the floor with her eyes fixed on the streaming liquid. "It looks so weird!" She gasped in wonder.

"Whoa--” Rogers quickly grabbed the bottle and placed it on the coffee table, looking at the stained rug warily. “Pepper’s not going to be happy about that.”

“All right, boys.” Thor effortlessly picked Rhodes and Wilson up and placed them on each of his shoulders, carrying them as he walked out. “Bed time.”

“Vision, take her to her room, please?”

“Certainly,” Vision said. He got up and carried the girl lying on the ground, placing her in his arms before floating over to the door, stopping right as Thor exited. “I had a nice time, Rogers. Thank you.”

“Right back at you,” Rogers nodded as he tried to get Natasha to stand up. Vision got out of Stark’s place and headed for the elevator.

 

* * *

 

When he reached Wanda’s room, Vision noticed the girl was fully asleep, her head nuzzling into the crook of his neck. The lights were off but he the moon had lightened the room with a soft glow. He glanced at the her. She looked so peaceful and innocent; such a contrast to the girl he saw during the day. She looked like the weight of the world was not on her shoulders, just like how a normal teenager should live. But what did he know? He had cease to exist until only a little over a month ago. But either way, he felt sorry for the girl. He felt a certain... Obligation to help her.

He carefully laid her on the bed before placing the covers over her, only to have a pair of hands stop him.

“Pietro?” The girl muttered, slowly opening her eyes.

“No, it is I, Vision.”

“Oh...” Wanda looked up at him, who was standing over the bed beside her. “I am sorry. I just thought you were...” She took a deep breath, and Vision could see that her eyes had turned glossy. “I thought you were my brother.”

“I am sorry to confuse you.”

“No, it is not your fault...” She somehow seemed sober now, not like the state she had been just about twenty minutes ago. “I just look for him every night. It is a habit. He usually always tells me good night.” She looked to the side, facing away from him trying to hide the obvious tears that had started flowing. 

"Good night, Wanda," Vision said gently. Pulling the covers until they were up to her neck.

Her head snapped up, looking at him for a while. Her face was unreadable and Vision feared he might have done wrong, but then her lips curled into a small smile, and he was instantly relieved. 

"Good night, Vision."

And with that, Vision smiled and quietly walked out of her bedroom.

  

* * *

 

Wanda lied on her side, staring at the full moon.

Today had been eventful and fun. Yes,  _fun_. Such a strange word for her to describe her day. She enjoyed the company of the Avengers, plus Pepper. She liked them all. 

However that all seem to die as the back of her mind kept screaming for her brother. And suddenly, she felt guilty. Guilty for being happy without him. It felt so  _wrong_  to be happy when her better half was lying six feet under.  

For the first time ever, somebody had told her good night; somebody other than Pietro, that was, and it felt nice, making her feel even more guilty. When she finally heard the door click shut, she immediately broke into a sob.

Alcohol could loosen her up, but no amount could ever erase the pain of losing Pietro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Wanda :( Anyway, what do you guys think about this chapter? Let us know, will you? :D


End file.
